Ex-Minneapolis cop pleads guilty to aiding and abetting charge in George Floyd’s death
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BREAKING: Ex Minneapolis cop pleads guilty to ‘accessory to second-degree manslaughter’ in George Floyd’s last-minute death before trial begins
- J Alexander Kueng pleaded guilty Monday to complicity in second-degree manslaughter in connection with George Floyd’s death
- He specifically said he was “culpably negligent” and “created an unreasonable risk” when Floyd died on May 25, 2020
- Attorney Thomas Plunkett said they reached a negotiated settlement to dismiss a count of second-degree accidental murder
- The guilty plea comes just before he’s due to face a state trial
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One of the former Minneapolis agents charged in the 2020 death of George Floyd has now pleaded guilty to “complicity in his death.”
J Alexander Kueng, 29, pleaded guilty Monday to complicity in second-degree manslaughter, specifically saying he was “culpably negligent” and “created an unreasonable risk” when Floyd died on May 25, 2020.
His attorney, Thomas Plunkett, told the… Minneapolis Star Tribune they had negotiated a settlement with prosecutors to dismiss a count of second-degree accidental murder.
As part of the agreement, ABC news According to reports, Plunkett agreed to recommend a prison sentence of just 42 months, which Kueng will serve concurrently with his federal sentence of three years in federal prison with two years of supervised release.
The IOU comes just before Kueng and fellow officer Tou Thao are due to endure a state case.
J Alexander Kueng pleaded guilty Monday to complicity in second-degree manslaughter just before appearing in state trial
Kueng, left, is pictured here with his attorney, Thomas Plunkett at the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis in July 2020. Plunkett said Monday that by pleading guilty to the charge of complicity in manslaughter, one count of second-degree unintentional murder was committed. turned down.
Kueng and his fellow officers, Thao and Thomas Lane, were previously found guilty of violating Floyd’s civil rights by failing to intervene when their officer, Derek Chauvin, knelt on Floyd’s neck while he was handcuffed for more than nine minutes. .
Prosecutors say Kueng helped Derek Chauvin hold Floyd to the ground, while Thao warded off bystanders concerned for Floyd’s well-being.
He had previously turned down another offer that Lane, 36, accepted to avoid state trials, which would have allowed him to serve his state sentence at the same time as his federal sentence.
Meanwhile, Thao is still expected to pass a state trial Monday on charges of complicity in first-degree murder and complicity in manslaughter.
If found guilty, he could face an additional 16 years in prison.